Many constructions of suitcases for use by travelers are known. These known constructions of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ suitcases are of varied form and conventionally include one or two carrying handle arrangements and at least a pair of wheels/rolls for facilitating the movement of the suitcase by a user.
In addition, it is also known to provide cases incorporating a towing handle structure which is usually moveable between a stowed or retracted position and an extended user suitcase towing position.
It is clearly apparent that with the provision of the towing handle facility in conjunction with wheels or rolls the user does not need to have to carry the suitcase. Furthermore in practice the use of the wheels/rolls greatly facilitates the general handling of a suitcase in locations such as crowded airports.
It is convenient to note in relation to the use of the term ‘hard’ the term is often regarded as applying to those suitcases whose walls, top and bottom cannot be readily pierced by a blade or needle.
Conventionally the so-called ‘hard’ suitcases incorporate a metal or plastics framework extending around the internal perimeter of the base section of the suitcase that is the load receiving section of the suitcase The framework effectively defines the overall shape and size of the suitcase and to provide structural strength to the suitcase.
The term “soft” can be conveniently regarded as being applied to suitcases that employ a soft outer covering that is supported by an internal framework of metal or appropriate plastics material extending around the total periphery of the top and bottom of the associated suitcase base section in such manner as to define the visual form of the suit case.
In practice, in addition to the provision of such frameworks known soft suitcases can incorporate reinforcements at the top, base and corner sections thereof. Such reinforcements can be formed from plywood, or P. E. Board.
Whatever the actual construction of the “hard” or “soft” suitcases the provision of the towing handle facility has historically involved the provision of at least one pair of tubular members that are additional to the actual structure of the framework of the base section and which are telescopically engageable by the limbs of a U-shaped assembly serving as the actual towing handle.
In practice, the provision of these additional tubes can add significantly to the overall weight of the empty suitcase since additional means has to be provided to mount such tubes to the suitcase framework.
This need to increase the weight of a suitcase can be a inconvenient disadvantage bearing in mind that the major mode of present day travel on a world wide basis is by air, and that as is well known many airline operators are frequently imposing lower and lower limits to the overall weight of the luggage that a traveler is permitted to carry onto an aircraft. In fact, particularly in relation to the most intensively used group of flights, namely the so-called tourist grade whether on scheduled flights or charter flights the allowable weight permitted per passenger is being progressively reduced.